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Man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend's father

Church will be sentenced on May 16

Platte County District Attorney's OfficeSOURCE: Platte County District Attorney's Office

Man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend's father

Church will be sentenced on May 16

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Updated: 12:50 PM CDT Apr 11, 2014

A man charged with killing his girlfriend's father pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, abruptly ending his trial for first-degree murder.

Twenty-two-year-old Brandon Church was on trial this week for first-degree murder in the 2011 beating death of Kerry Deyo in their Platte City home. Prosecutors say Deyo was killed when he intervened in an argument between his daughter and Church.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said Church put Deyo in a headlock and choked him before throwing him to the ground and repeatedly hitting him.

While entering his plea Thursday, Church told the judge he killed Deyo after he "snapped" while the men were fighting. He claimed the death was an accident.